VLM (rocket)

VLM-1
*Veículo Lançador de Microssatélites*
	VLM-1 configuration
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	CTA
Country of origin	Brazil
Size
Height	19.6 m (64 ft)
Diameter	1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)
Mass	28,000 kg (62,000 lb)
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	150 kg (330 lb) to 300 km[1]
Launch history
Status	In development
Launch sites	Alcântara Launch Center
First flight	2022 (planned)[2]
First stage – S-50
Motor	1 Solid
Thrust	~400 kN (90,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	~277 s (2.72 km/s)
Burn time	~60 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Second stage – S-50
Motor	1 Solid
Thrust	~400 kN (90,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	~277 s (2.72 km/s)
Burn time	~60 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Third stage – S-44
Motor	1 Solid
Thrust	33.24 kN (7,470 lbf)
Specific impulse	282 s (2.77 km/s)
Burn time	68 seconds
Fuel	Solid

The VLM (Veículo Lançador de Microssatélites) is a proposed three-stage satellite launcher being developed by the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology in collaboration with Germany. The project originated in 2008 as a simplified version of the VLS-1 rocket, using only the core stages. The first launch is currently planned for 2022.[2]

A version based on the S-50 rocket engine is being developed, with the objective of launching satellites of up to 150 kg into equatorial circular orbits at 300 km altitude.[3]

Development history

Development on VLM started in 2008 for the purpose of low-cost and reliable launch of microsatellites.[1] Initially, a four-stage rocket using solid fuel was proposed, arranged in the following order:

Stage 1: S-43 rocket engine
Stage 2: S-40TM rocket engine
Stage 3: S-44 rocket engine
Stage 4: S-33 rocket engine

It was later decided in 2011 to build a precursor single-stage rocket bearing a new engine called S-50. The vehicle is being developed and its engine tested in collaboration with the German Space Agency (DLR).[1][4] This precursor test is called VS-50 and is planned for launch no earlier than 2021.[2][5] The VS-50 vehicle measures 12 m (39 ft) long, 1.46 m (4 ft 9 in) in diameter, and has a mass of about 15 tons.[1]

All launches are planned to take place from the Alcântara Launch Center, located on Brazil's northern Atlantic coast.

VLX family

When the VLM design and tests are completed to satisfaction, it is planned to develop a larger rocket family called VLX, targeting the delivery of payloads of between 300 and 500 kg to low Earth orbit.[1] The VLX family will include two launchers named Aquila 1 (for delivery of 300 kg to 500 km) and Aquila 2 (for delivery of 500 kg to 700 km into a polar orbit).[1] An early concept calls for two lateral S-50 engines configured as strap-on boosters.[1] A new liquid fuel engine, called L-75, is being designed for this launcher family.[1] It is hoped that the maiden flight of Aquila 1 will take place in 2023, and that of Aquila 2 in 2026.[1]

VLM-1

The VLM-1 vehicle is designed to deliver up to 150 kg (330 lb) payloads to a 300 km equatorial circular orbit.[1] VLM-1 is projected to have a total mass of 28,000 kg (62,000 lb), including 10 tons of propellant.[3] The first two stages will use the S-50 solid fuel engine, with the third using the same S-44 engine as in the VS-40 sounding rocket.[2]

Stage 1: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 2: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 3: S-44 rocket engine

Planned versions

In the future, the L5 liquid fuel rocket engine will replace the solid 3rd stage engine. The configuration will be:

Stage 1: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 2: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 3: L5 rocket engine (to be developed)

Proposed flights

The qualification flight is VLM-1 (or XVT-00).[6]

#	Vehicle	Payload	Date	Launch site
1	VLM-1 (XVT-00)	Qualification	2022[2]	Alcântara VLS
2	VLM V-01	SHEFEX III	202x[6]	Alcântara VLS

References

Caiafa, Roberto (10 December 2018). "Novos lançadores de satélites e nova empresa espacial para Alcântara (AEB)". Tecnologia & Defensa (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 October 2020.
Messier, Doug (7 October 2020). "Brazil Plans Launch of Brazilian Orbital Rocket from Brazilian Soil in 2022". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
"VLM-1". Brazilian Space Agency (in Portuguese). 6 March 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
de Selding, Peter B. (4 January 2018). "Brazil says ground test of micro-satellite launcher developed with Germany to occur this year". Space Intel Report.
Falcão, Duda (24 May 2012). "Esclarecido, Realmente é o Mock Up do Motor-Foguete S-50". Brazilian Space (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 October 2020 – via BlogSpot.
Krebs, Gunter (2 January 2020). "VLM". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 8 October 2020.

External links

Home website of VLM-1 at the Brazilian Space Agency

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[Tecno_2018-1] Caiafa, Roberto (10 December 2018). "Novos lançadores de satélites e nova empresa espacial para Alcântara (AEB)". Tecnologia & Defensa (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 October 2020.

[pa-20201007-2] Messier, Doug (7 October 2020). "Brazil Plans Launch of Brazilian Orbital Rocket from Brazilian Soil in 2022". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 8 October 2020.

[Home_AEB-3] "VLM-1". Brazilian Space Agency (in Portuguese). 6 March 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.

[4] Selding, Peter B. (4 January 2018). "Brazil says ground test of micro-satellite launcher developed with Germany to occur this year". Space Intel Report.

[5] Falcão, Duda (24 May 2012). "Esclarecido, Realmente é o Mock Up do Motor-Foguete S-50". Brazilian Space (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 October 2020 – via BlogSpot.

[gunter-vlm-6] Krebs, Gunter (2 January 2020). "VLM". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 8 October 2020.

Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara A5 Antares 230+ Ariane 5 Atlas V Ceres-1 Delta IV Heavy Electron Epsilon Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy GSLV Mk II Mk III H-IIA Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11^† Kaituozhe 2 LauncherOne Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 7 7A^† 8 11 Minotaur I IV V C OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qased Rocket 3^† Safir Shavit Simorgh^† Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v Unha Vega Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque-1^†
In development	Amur Angara 1.2 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Eris Firefly Alpha Beta H3 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 921 rocket 9 Miura 5 New Glenn New Line 1 Nuri OS-M2 OS-M4 Orbex Prime SLS Soyuz-7 SSLV Starship Terran 1 Vega C Vega E Vulcan Zero Zhuque-2
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 Ariane 1 2 3 4 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV Diamant Dnepr Energia Europa^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M Lambda 4S Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Saturn I IB V Scout SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates historical or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but did not ever succeed (never did or has performed a successful orbital launch)